The California Plant and Soil Conference will be held virtually February 1-3, 2022. Registration is open on the conference website. The registration fee increases on January 25th. The theme of the conference is Solutions in a time of Scarcity - California's Water Future. Session topics include:

• Strategies for increasing farm water conservation
• Crop tolerance to heat, drought, and deficit irrigation
• Current issues and advancements in weed management
• Hot topics in pest management
• Biostimulants
• Irrigation under drought conditions
• Soil conservation
• Nutrient management

We have applied for DPR pesticide licensing credits (Other: 3.0), CCA credits (Total 13.25; Categories: Nutrient Management: 1.0, Soil & Water Management: 5.75, Integrated Pest Management: 3.0, Crop Management: 3.0, Professional Development: 0.5), and Nitrogen Management credits (4.0) to help growers fulfill their Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program requirement. These credits have not yet been approved and are subject to change.

The Plant and Soil Conference is organized by the California Chapter of the American Society of Agronomy. The objective of the conference is to promote human welfare through advising on, acquisition of, and dissemination of scientific knowledge concerning the nature, use, improvement, and interrelationship of plants, soil, and the environment. The Chapter seeks people to serve on the Board from academia, government, and industry. Please reach out to me if you would like to know more about serving on the Board.

We hope to see you (virtually!) at the conference.

As the Covid-19 pandemic persists, and as government and University recommendations maintain that we should social distance, the SJC and Delta Field Crops Meeting will now be VIRTUAL. The meeting will still take place THIS Friday, January 14th from 8am to noon. The agenda is shown below, but please see the attached (downloadable) meeting agenda for the link to the meeting. No RSVP or registration is required ahead of the meeting, but upon entering the virtual meeting room, anyone seeking continuing education credits will need to register using a provided survey. Available continuing education credits are for pesticide licensing (DPR: 0.5 of L, 2.0 of O), certified crop advisers (1.0 of NM, 2.5 of PM), and nitrogen and irrigation management credits for the Irrigated Lands Program (1.0). Please reach out to the SJC Cooperative Extension office if you have any questions. Thank you for your understanding as we pivot to a virtual meeting. We hope to see you virtually on Friday.

8:00am            Zoom waiting room opens. Attendees will be admitted shortly thereafter.

8:15am            Delta Rice Pest Management Update

                       Michelle Leinfelder-Miles, UCCE, San Joaquin/Delta Counties

8:45am            Regulatory Update

                       Tim Pelican, San Joaquin County Agricultural Commissioner

9:15am            The Problem of Insecticide Resistance with Alfalfa Weevil

                       Ian Grettenberger, UC Davis

9:45am            Using Drones to Control Insect Pests in Alfalfa

                       Rachael Long, UCCE, Yolo/Sacramento/Solano Counties

10:15am          Break

10:30am          Update on Common Chickweed Control in CA Small Grains

                       Nick Clark, UCCE, Kings/Tulare/Fresno Counties

11:00am          CropManage Online Decision Support Tool for Irrigation Scheduling and N Management 

                       Michael Cahn, UCCE, Monterey/San Benito/Santa Cruz Counties

11:30am          Nitrogen Fertility in Common Beans following Whole Orchard Recycling

                       Michelle Leinfelder-Miles, UCCE, San Joaquin/Delta Counties

12:00pm          Evaluations and Adjourn

UC Cooperative Extension will host the SJC and Delta Field Crops Meeting on Friday, January 14, 2022 from 8:00am to 12:00pm. The meeting location is the Cabral Agricultural Center in Stockton (2101 E. Earhart Ave., Stockton, CA 95206). A printable version of the agenda is attached at the bottom of this post. The agenda is as follows:

8:00am            Doors open and sign in

8:15am            Delta Rice Pest Management Update

                       Michelle Leinfelder-Miles, UCCE, San Joaquin/Delta Counties

8:45am            Regulatory Update

                       Tim Pelican, San Joaquin County Agricultural Commissioner

9:15am            The Problem of Insecticide Resistance with Alfalfa Weevil

                       Ian Grettenberger, UC Davis

9:45am            Using Drones to Control Insect Pests in Alfalfa

                       Rachael Long, UCCE, Yolo/Sacramento/Solano Counties

10:15am          Break

10:30am          Update on Common Chickweed Control in CA Small Grains

                       Nick Clark, UCCE, Kings/Tulare/Fresno Counties

11:00am          CropManage Online Decision Support Tool for Irrigation Scheduling and N Management 

                       Michael Cahn, UCCE, Monterey/San Benito/Santa Cruz Counties

11:30am          Nitrogen Fertility in Common Beans following Whole Orchard Recycling

                       Michelle Leinfelder-Miles, UCCE, San Joaquin/Delta Counties

12:00pm          Evaluations and Adjourn

We have submitted applications for continuing education. Credits for pesticide licensing (DPR: 0.5 of L, 2.0 of O) are still pending. Certified crop advisor credits have been approved (1.0 of NM, 2.5 of PM). Nitrogen and irrigation management credits for the Irrigated Lands Program have been approved (1.0). 

Due to the CA Department of Public Health order, masking is required in indoor public settings and will be required at this meeting. If you require special accommodations, please contact UCCE San Joaquin County at 209-953-6100.

I wish you a happy holiday season, and I hope to see you at the meeting in the new year.

UC Cooperative Extension will host the annual Delta field meeting on Thursday, September 30th from 10:00-11:30am, on Tyler Island in Sacramento County. The agenda is pasted below and attached. In addition to providing information on the annual field corn variety trial, this year's agenda includes presentations on nitrogen management in corn and wheat. The attached version of the agenda includes a map and directions to the field site. We have applied for CCA and CDFA INMP continuing education credits. The University is attentive to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Please monitor yourself for Covid-19 symptoms before coming to the event, and do not come if you are experiencing symptoms. While this meeting is outdoors, we will be following University safety precautions for in-person events. Please practice social distancing, or wear a mask if within 6 feet of another person. Thanks for your interest in UC Cooperative Extension programming, and we hope to see you in the field! 

Agenda:

10:00am     Field corn variety evaluation – preliminary results, Michelle Leinfelder-Miles, UCCE, SJC/Delta

10:15am     Variety traits for the Delta, Seed company representatives

10:30am     In-season nitrogen management in wheat, Michelle Leinfelder-Miles, UCCE, SJC/Delta

10:45am     Development of site-specific nitrogen fertilization recommendations for annual crops, Suzette Turner and Daniel Geisseler, UC Davis

11:00am     Viewing of field plots